Good morning dear readers!
Odd question, how many of you noticed (from the photos or having met me in real life) that I actually used to have bad skin?
Long-time readers would probably know how disastrous my skin used to be as I once had a lot of pimples and have been fighting acne problem for several years.
Today, I am FINALLY free of acne. But look closely, you can still see my oily skin & scars on my cheeks.
(In this photo, I have tried to conceal it with make up)
Is my oily face & scars on my cheeks clearer?
(In this photo, I have less concealer on)
But if you never noticed, it could mean that I'm either really good with my make-up and concealers to cover up the acne haha!
Thanks to the folks at Papulex, a leading pharmaceutical expert in Asia Pacific that specializes in Dermatology, I'm going to begin opening up a personal battle of my life that you probably didn't know of –
For those of you lucky people who never knew what acne is nor have experienced it, acne is the name given to the various dermal outbreaks, such as pimples and blackheads, which are commonly experienced during adolescence.
While acne, in most instances, diminishes and disappears by the early 20s, for some unfortunate individuals the symptoms of acne can persist long into adulthood.
Here's a simple diagram on how acne occurs on the skin surface
Now, we all know that there are many theories (and many myths) as to what exactly causes acne but one of the stronger arguments is that acne is largely influenced by your genes.
Main question of today –
CAN ACNE BE INHERITED?
Answer –
Yes, you can inherit acne.
After doing my research, here are some cold, hard facts!
Numerous studies have been conducted in order to correlate acne with genetics. A 1999 study from the British Journal of Dermatology has shown that individuals who suffer from adult persistent acne are four times more likely to have adult relatives who also suffer from adult persistent acne than individuals who do not.
Similarly, a more recent study has demonstrated that individuals with a parental history of acne experience acne at a younger age than those without (sourced from the book 'Heredity: A Prognostic Factor for Acne').
The same study suggests that certain symptoms are significantly more prevalent when the father or mother alone experiences acne.
According to The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, a study on twins has also suggested that acne is significantly based on genetic factors as opposed to environmental, lifestyle or other factors.
So basically, you can’t avoid inheritance as it runs in the gene pool.
Yes, I know it’s an unlucky thing to have but it’s something you have to live with it.
I would know, I’ve lived with it almost all my life I know, such an unfortunate soul, right?
However, there is a smart way to strike a balance between nature and nurture.
And that's when skincare comes in too. I’ve discovered that there are ways to manage and combat this problem with some simple solutions.
I'm embarking on an interesting mission to help everyone have better skin & to ensure that nobody is misinformed about acne
Having done my research, here are the top 5 common misconceptions that I'd like to myth-bust!
Myth #1 Acne is a contagious disease.
You can't get acne by touching another person's acne or sharing food with a person with acne
Myth #2 Acne spots are due to bad hygiene.
You should resist the temptation to repeatedly cleanse, treat and fuss over your acne as it will aggravate the skin
Myth #3 Acne problem is a teenage problem
Adult acne happens too. It affects a diverse range of people from teens, pregnant women, adults and even the elderly
Myth #4 Chocolate causes acne
Nonsense. Enough said.
Myth #5 Pop the pimple and it will go away
Picking it will leave open sores vulnerable to bacteria and infection, worsening your condition
So where am I going with this, you wonder?
Like I said before, I'm on a mission to discover and spread the truth about acne. I’m affirmative that everyone reading this right now knows at least one person with acne and bad skin, right?
To be honest, I'd like to know the complete truth – learning about different skin types, what really causes acne and how to address this issue.
I'm proud to say that I will be joining the cause as a truthseeker to fight acne and shed light to others who are currently facing acne problems or even know someone with this problem.
Long story short, I'm out to help people with acne-prone skin to get out of this damned problem.
WHY?
Because I know how terrible it can be, how ugly you can feel
and how much time you take to try to make yourself look better.
I've been there, and done that.
Thus I'm participating in the Lead the Way Blogger Challenge by Papulex Asia.
Log on to Papulex's Official Facebook page to know more about this cause!
I may be free from acne now, but my scars remain
(You probably can't see it. Pro-tip : Black & white does wonders for acne scars!)
Stay tuned to my next article as I will be opening up and sharing the ugly truth on my battle with acne.
What I faced everyday living with it, how severe it was and how it made me feel throughout the whole ordeal.
Be prepared for some ugly photos of my acne-ridden self as well!
What to expect? Well I looked something like this –
Yeah, very ugly right?
Well, I got through it. I survived
I went through acne and am living the sad aftermath with moon critters on my face 🙁
I have them too. Very bad and ugly scars if looked up close and without make up.
oh! i usually have a huge pimples on my face during PMS. last time even have it in the middle of my forehead that my friend laugh at me and say that i’m an indian :O
You’re lucky to only have them during PMS. I used to have it EVERY DAY OF THE GODDAMNED YEAR 🙁
hahaa at least now get better de ma 🙂 be glad for it 😀
Haha yesyes I’m thankful! 😀 😀
Can’t wait for the next post. Btw, I met you in real life, you’re not ugly ok??
Thankyouuuuu that’s really kind of you to say that. Hmm.. well, maybe I’m just good in covering up the ugly scars on my face. You’ll probably die from seeing my old photos HAHAHAHA
i might not know u well but all the while wat i c is tat ur confidence projects the beauty…..=) cheers
Thank you for such kinds words! 🙂 🙂
i had my fair share of SEVERE acne phase too :(…
now my cheeks are like the surface of the moon :(…this products help this?
Same! My cheeks are really ugly with all the big holes and scars too.
Will this products help? I’m about to find out 🙂 Stay tuned okay? If it works for me, it will probably work for you too. Is your acne problem over already? Or do you still have it?
I also got the same problem but worse thing is, I’m not good with makeup 🙁
But do you still have acne? Just use concealer! It helps to cover up LOL
Mine STILL comes on and off! So annoying… and ugly
I have family history of acne and both my brother and sister suffers from cystic acne. I had my shares of them in my early 20s But fortunately no scars. Very good information on this post and great tips for acne sufferers. My turning point was a change of oral contraceptive pills and some good skincare products (SK II).
You’re lucky you don’t have any scars! Most likely I have them because I used to press & pick at them all the time 😛 Guilty as charged haha!
Yeah I took oral contraceptive pills as well and even went to the doctor! :O
I used to only pop them when they were ‘ripe’, but have to be extra careful with hygiene when doing so. Clean face and hands only. My brother had to go on roccutane for a while and my sister tried antibiotics on and off too. My mum still get the occasional acne (now in her 50s). Oh, have you gone for microdermabrasion? That got rid of my previous scars. Might be helpful to you.
omg i didn’t know acne can be inherited? I’ve been blessed with non-oily skin so no acne problems unless I use too rich skincare products that’ll cause my face to burst out in red pimple dots the next morning.
🙁 but u know what they say about ppl who have oily skin.. they look younger than the ones who has dry skin T___T